Electric meter



Patented Feb. 4, 1890.

EEcEEEEcEEE M PETERS, Photo-Lllhcgnbhan Wn'shingtnn. o c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES D. BISHOP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC M ETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,762, dated February 4, 1890. Application filed June 17, 1889. Serial No. 314,524. (Ndmodelil To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES D. BISHOP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, (but at present sojourning in Paris, Republic of France,) have invented a new and useful Improvement in Registering-Meters for Electric Currents, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements on the current registering meter for which Letters Patent of the United States, No. 389,870, were granted me on the 25th day of September, 1888, and in which the movement of a solenoid-core by the current operates with the increase and decrease of the current to increase and decrease (though not to the same extent, as will be hereinafter more fully explained) the leverage of mechanismfor actuati ng theregistering-gear,which mechanism involves a pendulum vibrated by one or more electro-magnets, two of which are shown in the patent, and which are alternately short-circuited by the pendulum. Owing to the fact that the movement of a solenoid-core under the influence of an electric current varying in quantity (according to the consumption) is not directly proportional to the increase or decrease of the current, but that, on the contrary, the extent of the movement is greater than the variations in the current producing it, it follows that the indications on the register are not accurate indications of the amount of consumption of the current, to ascertain which accurately requires calculation by persons skilled to that end.

The ultimate object of "my improvement is to provide a registering-meter for electric cu rrents which shall serve to register with accuracy the quantity of current passed through it and indicate the same in a manner intelligible to the general consumer, as in the case of the gas-meter; and it is also my object to provide a generally improved construction of meter for registering electric currents. To these ends I provide in a meter such as that set forth in my aforesaid patent a compensator of especial construction and adjustable as to the degree of its function for the difference between the variation of the current and the extent of movement of the solenoid-core producible by the current, andlalso improve,

in the matter of details and combinations of parts, upon the construction shown in my aforesaid patent.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken View, diagrammatic in its nature, of my improved device, showing parts in elevation, Fig. 2, a broken enlarged view in section, taken on the line 2 of Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 3, a diagram representing an incandescent elec-' trio-lamp circuit and its branches, having my improved meter indicated in proper positions of its use.

A is the solenoid, supported, with the other details of the device hereinafter described, in a suitable case. (Not shown.) The solenoidcore B is supported to extend into the coil on a spring a", forming a link between the core and a threaded rod q, extending into a stationary bearing 1), beyond which is a nut n, whereby the core may be adjusted with reference to its degree of extension into the coil.

0 is a ratchet-wheel supported on a center at, carrying a pinion m, from which the train of register-wheels D is actuated, and from between the pinion m and wheel is suspended on the center as an arm or lever Z, having secured to its lower end by a pin Z adog Z and provided longitudinally of its front side with a guide-rod is.

E is the pendulum, fulcrumed at y, where it carries the escapement c of an ordinary clock-movement, of which only the wheel F is indicated. The pendulum, which normally hangs parallel with the lever Z in its normal perpendicular position, carries, like the latter, a guide-rod 75 on its extension above its fulcrum, and 011 the rods k and k is guided a weighted cross-head h, extending beyond the rod is and there bent into a downwardprojecting finger 72/, connected by a spring h with a pin 7Z3, extending from the dog Z near its free end. From the weight at the center of the cross head h extends perpendicularly upward a rod or bar g, having near its upper end a cross-head g, movable between rigid guides 9 secured in proper position, as shown, and the bar 9 is connected by a cord or the like f with the core B.

G is a lever, which may be in the form of a pulley, over which the cord f passes be tween the solenoid-core and cross-head g, and

around the center on one side of the pulley is a hub G, carrying a cam II, which should be adjustable as to the degree of its curve, and which I accordingly provide in the form of a curved spring e, secured at one end to the hub G and extending thence part-way around it, set'screws (Z serving to adjust the degree of its curve. A cord f is secured at one end to the hub G and leads therefrom over a guide-pulley s to a yielding retainer, which maybe provided in the form of a spring r, with one end of which the cord is connected, the opposite end of the spring being fastened to a threaded rod q, supported in a bearing 1), and provided with a nut n for adjusting the tension of the spring.

The operation of the device is as follows: The solenoid of the meter, which is intended to be provided, of course, for each branch of a circuit requiring a meter, (and indicated in Fig. 3 as leading from a generator 1,) is included in such branch circuit to cause the entire current supplied thereon to pass through the solenoid-coil, which exerts upon the core the well-known suction effect, whereby, through the medium of the cord f, the cross-head 7L is raised or lowered between the pendulum E and lover 1, according to variation in the quantity of current passing through the solenoid. tinually by the action upon the escapementz' of the wheel F of the clock-inoven'ient, which The pendulum is vibrated conshould be of a construction to cause it to run for the desired number of days forming the interval between inspections of the meter or for a longer time.

hen there is no current i on, the core B is in its normal position with: reference to the coil, which position is gaged to permit the cross-head h to assume its lowest position, in which the finger h engages, with the pin 7L3 and pushes the dog Z out of 1 engagement with the teeth of the wheel 0, backward rotation of which is prevented by a dog 0. hen the dog Z is thus disengaged from the wheel, the latter is not, as will pics 1 ently appear, actuated or aiii'ected by the vibrations of the pendulum. as there is current on the line, the suction of As soon, however,

the core into the solenoid-coil raises the cross 3 head it and causes the finger h, by its connection with the dog Z to produce engagement of the latter with the teeth of the wheel (J, so that each vibration of the pendulum toter owing to the connection with the pendululu of the lever Z. Obviously, the greater ward the wheel produces turning of the latthe quantity of current passed through the solenoid the farther the wheel (1 should be.

turned in order to cause it to register an increase on the registering-dials. To accomplish this, the disposition of the movable cross-head 7b is such between the pendulumj above its fulcrum and the lever Z below its fulcrum that as the cross-head is raised with aninerease of current it recedes from the fulcrum of the pendulum and approaches that of the lever Z, thereby increasing the leverage against the wheel C, while lowering of the cross-head with a decrease of the current produces the opposite effect. Thus the effect produced by the movements of the solenoidcore under the influence of the current is to rotate the wheel (3, which actuates the register.

IVere the difference in the degrees of extension of the core into the solenoid proportional to the degree of variation in the current, the measurement indicated by the turning of the wheel C would be accurately indicative of the quantity of current consumed. This not being the case, however, as hereinbefore explained, in order to cause the wheel C to be turned and produce indication of the exact amount of current passed through the meter, it is necessary to provide means for effecting compensation for the difference between the variation in the current and the extent of movement it is capable of exerting upon the solenoid-core. Accordingly I provide a compensator involving a cam II, adjustable as to the degree of its curve and formed, preferably, of the adjustable spring 6, and which, through the medium of the cord f passed over it and held at one end by a yielding retainer, produces a leverage against the rotation of the wheel 0, gradually increasing or decreasing, according as the current increases or decreases, and adjusted (by test) accurately to prevent the excess of movement of the core 13. It should also be stated that a clock-movement herein referred to affords merely one of various forms of actuating means (as electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic power) for the pendulum.

XVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a registeringm'ieter for electric cur rents and employing a solenoid to actuate the registering mechanism by the movement of its core under the influence of the current, the combination, with the solenoid-core and registering mechanism, of a compensator haw ing a cam ll, adjustable as to the degree of its curve and secured upon a lever G, and a cord holding the cam to a yielding resistance against rotation by the said lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a registering-meter for electric cur rents and employing a solenoid to actuate the registering mechanism by the movement of its core under the influence of the current, the combination, with the solenoid-core, of a compensator comprising a cam II, formed with a support G on a pulley Gr, a spring a, secured to the support and having adjusting means for varying its curve, a cord f, secured to the said support and passing 011 the cam II in the direction of its enlargement and secured at its opposite end to a yielding retainer, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a registering-meter for electric currents, substantially as described, the combi nation, with the solenoid-core, pendulum, and ratchetavheel 0,01": a lever Z, adjacent to and extending from its fulcrum in the direction opposite that of the extension of the unweighted end of the pendulum from its fulcrum, and provided with a dog Z to engage the teeth of the Wheel 0, a cross-head h, movable between the pendulum-and lever l and connected with the solenoid-core, and a releasing-finger h on the cross-head, connected with the dog, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a registering-meter for electric currents, substantially as described, the combination, with the solenoid-core, pendulum, and

ratchet-wheel O, of a clock-movement for vibrating the pendulum, a lever Z, adjacent to and extending from its fulcrum in the direction opposite that of the unweighted end of the pendulum from its fulcrum, and provided with a dog Z to engage the teeth of the wheel 0, a cross-head h, movable between the pendulum and lever Z, and connected with the solenoid-core, and a releasing-finger h on the crosshead, connected with the dog, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a registering-meter for electric currents, substantially as described, the co1nbination, with the solenoid-core, pendulum, and ratchet-wheel O, of a compensator having a cam H secured to a lever G, and a cord holding the cam to a yielding resistance against rotation by the lover, a lever Z, adjacent to Y and extending from its fulcrum in the direction opposite that of the extension of the unweighted end of the pendulum from its fulcrum, and provided with a dog Z to engage the teeth of the wheel 0, a cross-head h, movable between the pendulum and lever -Z and connected with the solenoid-core by a cord passing over the lever G, and a releasing-finger h on the cross-head; connected with the Z a cross-head g, rigidly connected with the cross-head h and movable in guides 9 a pulley G, a cord f, connecting the core B of the solenoid with the cross head g and passing over the said pulley, a support G on the pulley G, carrying an adjustable cam H, and a cord f, secured at opposite ends, respectively, to the said support and a yielding retaining device and passing over the cam in the direction of its enlargement, the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substan- I tially as described.

JAMES D. BISHOP. In presence of- R. J. PRESTON,

E. P. MACLEAN. 

